I think a lot of people over estimate how much it costs. It's expensive to travel anywhere, but a DIY trip can be done easily. Of course, if an Alaska trip only means staying at a Bristol Bay lodge then it probably is a very expensive trip!

We do remote float trips each year in Alaska and fly up from NC. The best thing we did was get Alaska Air Visa cards. We get miles of course, but the companion ticket is the, well, ticket. Basically, my ticket is $1200 and the wife goes for $100. That is to a hub town, ANC would be cheaper. But all our floats originate with bush flights out of Dillingham, Bethel, Kotzebue, etc.. Over the last 8 years we have amassed over 420,000 miles for a rainy day. But we use the companion tickets each year, sometimes twice a year. We each got our own Visa to get two companion tickets. It still cost, but roughly half as much. Now if I could only find a similar deal on float planes. Ha ha...

I'm going August 7-15 to visit some friends and also catch my first silver (hopefully). we don't have any reservations or the funds to do a resort- type trip so it's basically a winging trip with 'hoping for the best but expecting the worse'. If anyone has any advice on how to go it alone for some silvers I'd much appreciate a pm. We are flying into Anchorage and will be renting a car.

. If anyone has any advice on how to go it alone for some silvers I'd much appreciate a pm.

PM sent. I usually spend a week or two on the Upper Kenai in Sept fishing for bows and dollies. We always put in a few floats on the middle Kenai for silvers while there. Be sure to check out Outdoorsdirectory. Just Google it.

Anyone who is coming with a tight budget should contact me to see if I might be able to help them to find some solitary fishing without spending a fortune. Alaska is a wonderful place to fish and even more so if you can access some off the road opportunities.

In the end it's all about what can be afforded. I can't take folks to the outback for free but will give all the advice I can to try helping you to make the best of your time here. If you are coming and find the Kenai a little more crowded than you had anticipated, you can find contact info for me on my web site. I'll try to steer you away from the combat fishing..........................................

The confluence when the reds run is combat for sure. My wife and I seek solitude in all our trips and the Upper Kenai is not bad in Sept. There are other rafts and drift boats, but not as many as I would have expected. For true solitude, it's hard to beat a bush plane flight to a remote river. But as pointed out, it is expensive. Most our remote float trips are 10-14 days long. Amazing in every way. But the bush plane is usually $1800-2400. That is after getting to the hub town in Alaska with your gear, rafts, etc.. But there is nothing else like it.

Well like everyone else, it was time and cash....Now that my tenure will be over soon, I plan on makeing my way there in Aug. of 2014. Probably stay a week or so around Anchorage and the Kenei. Then make our way up twords the talkeetna area.. I guess that is the thing to do. Time wont be an issue, as we will have as long as we wish, and the airfare up and back to FL is free due to the skymiles program. (Thank you Delta)...So now the research begins..Lot to think about, as we will have the entire state at our dissposal..Any tips Ard??????

I forgot to mention, I wish to extend an invitation to whomever to come to Belize for some bonefishing.Just the remedy for those cold alaskan days..I will be there end of Sept. thru the beginning oct. (3 weeks). Then again in the first week of Nov. all the way through untill Beginning of Jan...Come on down my Alaskan bretherin and enjoy some warmth, cold rum drinks, and blazing boneys...